Calorie Counting Without Losing Your Mind

A young woman meditating, practicing mindfulness.

Have you ever found yourself thinking ahead to your next meal, stressed about what you’re going to eat to fit within your calorie goal? Did you end up eating over your deficit and feel anxious for the rest of the day? Calorie counting is the formula for successful weight loss, but it can become very overwhelming and taxing on your mental health. It can become obsessive, and you fall into a cycle of beating yourself up for not achieving your daily goals exactly the way you wanted to. Life happens, and the key to staying determined (without losing your mind!) throughout your weight loss journey is paying attention to your mental health and finding a healthy balance. You must take the right steps to pay attention to your mind & body, and take care of yourself.

The Mental Impact of Calorie Counting

When you’re calorie counting for weight loss, it can become stressful to keep up with. You set goals for yourself, and it becomes stressful to think about successfully completing your weight loss goals. You wonder if you’re ever going to be able to, and the stress of discouragement can weigh heavily. It’s easy to become stressed when it feels like an impossible task, one that you don’t have a handle on.

You also run the risk of becoming over-obsessed with calorie counting, which can lead to increased anxiety throughout your day. Some people tend to get too caught up in numbers, worrying about how their meals will add up and impact their progress. It’s one thing to pay attention to calories, but it can turn into over-obsession. It can have a crucial impact on mental health and hinder progress overall if someone burns themself out.

How To Balance Mental Health and Calorie Counting

When calorie counting, it is so important to practice mindfulness. Listening to your body is crucial. Listen to hunger cues & when you feel full to prevent overeating and exceeding your deficit. And vice versa, if you feel hungry, eat instead of putting off eating out of fear of blowing your deficit. When you pay attention to your body, it alleviates stress and anxiety that comes with calorie counting.

Most people want to lose weight and see the progress fast, and they’ll set goals for themselves that just aren’t realistic. Be realistic! Don’t set goals that just won’t work for you. You know yourself best, and you’ll save yourself a lot of headache if you’re honest with yourself about what you need and what you can handle. Finding the appropriate deficit for yourself is key to making sure that you’re not undereating and contributing to your urges to eat more. Allow yourself room to enjoy the treats you like, as a reward to keep yourself going. If the goal is too hard, you’ll fall into a cycle of failure, and it will discourage you from your weight loss journey all together.

The most important thing is to make sure that your overall wellbeing and health are in shape. If you’re not putting your best foot forward and feeling like the best version of yourself, it’s going to make it harder to stay on track and achieve those goals. Make sure you’re keeping yourself active and moving your body, getting enough sleep, and pay attention to the quality of food you’re eating to make sure you’re nourishing yourself well. Pay attention to your mental health, as well, and reflect on your feelings. It’s okay to acknowledge that you may need help or support to improve your mental health.

Strategies To Practice Going Forward

Try to avoid letting yourself become overly obsessed with numbers, and what you end up eating in a day. Tracking calories is a tool to help you, but it shouldn’t dictate your mood and feelings during the day. Just try your best, and stay calm. When you count calories in a healthy and sustainable way, it will make your journey a lot simpler.

Do not isolate yourself from social events and the people around you out of fear of not being able to control your deficit! Let yourself enjoy moments with friends and family that are food-centered, and you can go right back to tracking your meals the next day. Weight loss does not need to be isolating, and once-in-a-while occasions will not completely ruin your progress!

Be forgiving to yourself. Do not fall into a negative feedback loop where you shame yourself for going over your deficit. Life happens! All the internalized negativity will be extremely taxing to your mental health, and will only make you want to quit when you start to feel discouraged. You have the power to achieve your goals, but only with giving yourself flexibility and grace.

Calorie counting does not have to be mentally taxing! It’s important to find a healthy balance for taking care of your mental health and overall well being while on your weight loss journey. Remember, calorie counting is a tool, and it should not be extremely overwhelming. For additional support, The Difference App helps you log the calories you eat daily, and calories out!